The Clark County Board of Education voted to modify the contingency and funding source to add artificial turf to the baseball and softball fields following a lengthy conversation Tuesday.

Board chair Gordon Parido and board member Bill Taulbee voted in favor; board member Scott Hisle opposed, and board members Sherry Richardson and Ashley Ritchie abstained. However, board counsel Brian Thomas noted abstentions count as votes in favor; therefore, the motion passed.

The approved motion approved the funding source for the artificial turf to come from the $139,847.80 from residual funds, $250,000 from earned interest and the remaining balance would come out of the general fund contingency.

Hisle said he had given the issue an incredible amount of thought in the last week.

“It’s certainly clear to me that there’s certain non-negotiables that you all want,” Hisle said. “You want this to be a showcase… you want us to do it right. You want us to be glad we built it a certain way and not have regrets later on of why didn’t we do it this way, and would like to set the pace and stop following other districts…”

Hisle continued, adding $1.1 million is a lot to take out of the general fund.

Parido said the board had previously put about $1 million back into general funds because the district had spent less money than previously anticipated. Parido said with the motion, the board is only spending an additional $100,000 than previously promised to the project.

Hisle said he was concerned with taking more than $1 million out of the general fund account and shrinking the overall contingency.

“My assertion is we should get a second opinion on this,” Hisle said.

Hisle went on to suggest a natural turf option could bring about a turf management program.

“I just think before we commit to this amount of money that we ought to bring in an independent expert that doesn’t have a dog in this fight, not saying that you guys are wrong, just to give us a different perspective, so that we can say we are fully informed,” Hisle said. “…The whole complexion changed when that number went up so high.”

Parido said he agreed the board should consider those things, but he was concerned with weather. With an artificial turf field, the weather doesn’t pose a problem.

“The positives just outweigh the negatives as far as I’m concerned,” Parido said. “… This isn’t an either-or, we’re not taking away from anybody else.”

Thomas stopped the conversation to tell board members they had strayed away from the actual motion at hand which was about moving funds.

“This particular motion is a funding motion,” Thomas said.

There was some confusion among board members as to whether the motion in the last meeting had solidified artificial turf as the board’s decision.

The approved motion in the meeting’s approved minutes read: “direct the architects to move forward with preparing the revised BG-1 and for providing turf for both the baseball and softball fields.”

Hisle said he didn’t think turf specified artificial turf, but other board members contested that. Ultimately, the board approved the move of funds 2-1-2.

Following the board’s move of funds, the board approved change order 2-2 to Rising Sun with a 4-1 vote for the GRC field house and athletics project in the amount of $1,386,250 pending KDE approval. Hisle opposed.

Richardson said it was more money coming out of the general funds than she thought, but she still thought it was the best decision for the community.

“I think it will be a good thing for the kids,” Richardson said.

Superintendent Paul Christy also noted Chief Academic Officer Brenda Considine is leaving, so the board approved revisions to the chief academic officer job description.

The board discussed adding the superintendent certification requirement, which the updated job description had left out; Christy said the only reason he had removed that wording from the job description was so that he could have a larger applicant pool and would’ve discussed that aspect to see if applicants were pursuing the certification during interviews.

However, board members wanted to keep that language in the job description.

The board also recognized bus drivers who have been accident-free for three years or longer.

“We do appreciate everything you do,” Christy said.

In other action, the board:

— overviewed district K-PREP results.

— reviewed the first quarter finances for the general fund.

— approved of capital funds request .

— approved new custodian-athletic facilities job description.

— approved a pay application to Codell Construction, contractors and suppliers for the GRC gymnasium and athletic fields project for $609,103.37.

— approved a pay application to Codell Construction, contractors and suppliers for the GRC field house and athletic fields project for $580,221.06.

— approved a pay application to RossTarrant Architects for the GRC gymnasium and athletic fields project for $36,067.20.

— approved a pay application to RossTarrant Architects, for the GRC field house and athletics project for $11,739.43.

— approved a pay application to Performance Services for the guaranteed energy conservation savings project in the amount of $100,000.

— reviewed and approved retaining the services of RossTarrant Architects in assisting Clark County Public Schools in completing the district facility plan for 2020

— approved change orders to “all” contractors for the GRC gymnasium and athletic fields project.

— approved change order to Hinkle Block and Masonry, LLC. for the GRC field house and athletics project for a credit of $20,105.56.

— approved a change order to Lee Building Materials for the GRC field house and athletics project in the amount of $0.

— approved a change order to Lee Building Materials for the GRC field house and athletics project in the amount of $20,105.56.

— approved allocation to Junior Achievement in the amount of $2,500.

— appointed Parido to District Title IX Committee..

— tabled board funding of athletic uniforms ($115,000) and band instruments/equipment replacement ($150,000).